A typical form of transporting clothing and/or items while traveling is a suitcase, bag, or the like. Many bags allow the user to store clothes and personal items, but do not simultaneously allow for the hanging of suits, dresses, or other garments to protect them from creasing during transport. Various garment bags or hanging bags have been developed to provide transport of hanging garments. Garment bags generally have multiple compartments for holding hanging clothing and other items. However, many garment bags are large and bulky and cannot be carried onto a plane or train because they do not meet space restriction regulations. Slimmer hanging bags which may accommodate one or perhaps two suits can be carried on a plane but do not have areas to store personal items and accessories. Thus additional bags must generally be employed used to accommodate these items and the traveler may be forced to check luggage in order to meet the airline regulations.
A conventional hanging bag generally consists of a cloth or vinyl material comprising a bag that covers the hanging garments. The bag generally has an opening at one end to allow the hook of the hanger(s) on which the clothing is hung to extend outwardly from the bag. These hangers generally serve as a handle gripped by the user when carrying said bag. The hangers also can be hung on pole or in a closet while the clothing remains in said bag. It can be awkward for the user to carry the bag by the hangers since he or she may have to raise the arm up quite high to prevent clothing from dragging on the ground. Such an arm position may be awkward and undesirable. Accordingly, some users prefer to fold the bag in half over the forearm while carrying it. However, this may cause some creasing of the garments to occur and/or the hanger hooks may slip into the interior of the bag if not gripped by the user.
Garment bags or suitcases which allow the user to pack both hanging garments and other items most often must be checked rather than carried on. In addition, in a suitcase clothes must generally be folded so that items of clothing placed within are susceptible to obtaining a crease, bend, or the like. Many garment carriers often require folding the garments 180 degrees back on themselves increasing the severity of the wrinkles and creases that result.